Calm Down Jersey, It’s Only November

The New Jersey Devils are 9-10-4. They sit 5 points out of the wild card spot with 59 games left. 59 games! It’s not like it is the dead heat of a playoff race with 10 games left on the season. There is still time to right the ship and I hope the turning of the calendar to December brings new life to the team. The team has lost the month of November but there must be a feeling in NJ to win the month of December. With that being said, there are things the Devils should do to start getting momentum back.

Get Cory Schneider going

In years prior, Cory Schneider has been a workhorse for the Devils. He had been that workhorse up until December of last season. If he could get a few consecutive game under his belt this season then he would be able to return to form. There is no doubt in my mind that Cory Schneider can be the number 1 goalie again in New Jersey this season.

Fixing the defense

Egor Yakovlev has been a pleasant surprise in my eyes. There has been some adjustment to the NHL but all-in-all he has been solid. With that being said, he’s currently inserted into the line up for the wrong player. The most disappointing defenseman for the team this season has been Andy Greene. Because of his captaincy and longevity with the team, it would be extremely hard to get Andy to take a seat. Once Santini comes back, there are six defenseman that should get be getting consistent playing time. Those defensemen are Damon Severson, Steven Santini, Mirco Mueller, Egor Yakovlev, Will Butcher, and Sami Vatanen. Mueller (who is currently sitting) and Santini (who is due to come off IR soon) are far more viable options on defense rather than Andy Greene and Ben Lovejoy.

Shaking up the roster

The shake up started to day when the Devils put forward Jean-Sebastian Dea on waivers. Brett Seney and Joey Anderson have been holding their own on the NHL level since their call up but there are some players who have been disappointing this season. Stefan Noesen is one of these players with only two goals this season. Players like Marian Student and Nick Lappin are currently succeeding at the AHL level and might be in line for a call-up if the Devils wish to sit Noesen for a few games to send a message. The season is not lost as it is still November but the ship must be righted quick. A shake up of some sort might be what they need whether that comes via trade or via call up.

Check out the new podcast

Thank you for reading. Check out my new podcast, Too Many Men, in the link below. We talk about the Devils but really touch on all sports.